Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-01
THE MONSTER GUNS.
Some of the Heavy Cannon Made for
Forts and Ships.
The Formidable Showing Made by
Several of the Foreign Nations
The Mighty Armstrong Guns
The Krupp Cannon.

The havoc made in the Atlanta's fix
lures by the inadequacy of her gun car
riages to hold and control her pivot
guns, calls attention TO the fact that
while the latter are very powerful tor an
unarmored cruiser of her size, they would
make small show compared with the
heaviest ordnance now carried in war
ships.
The progress of thirty years in con-
STRUGGLING heavy guns has been extraordi-
nary. The largest pieces found on war
vessels in 1860 threw ball weighing
sixty eight pounds, with an initial veloc-
ity of 1870 feet per second, and an en-
ergy of 1,100 foot tons. Now initial We
locities in high-power guns have been
increased to 2,100 feet; projectlles at the
maximum weigh as much as $500 pounds,
and in some cases are propelled by
charges of nearly half ton of powder,
while the 110-guns of the Ben Bow reach
an energy of about 10000 foot tons.
Passing over the triumphs obtained by
intermediate ealibres, which were remark
able in their day, we find that the longest
French steel guns, such as are used for
the armament of the Terrible, completed
at Brest, the Requin, built at Bordeaux,
the Indomitable, built at L'Orient, and
each about seventy-six tons. They deliv-
er projectile weighing 1,716 pounds,
with muzzle velocity of 1.739 feet per
second, and muzzle energy of 10000
foot tons. The guns are rifed breech-
leaders. The French have other power
full guns, those constructed on the Barge
system being well known.
The Armstrong guns now mounted for
service In the italian armor- clads DuiIio.
Dandolo, Italia, and Lepanto weigh 100
tons each, and throw prof ectile of 1000
pounds. These have long been familiar.
but the later brsechloading guns are i'm
provements over the early muzzle leaders.
The most powerful of them take a pow
der charge of about 772 pounds, and have
an initial velocity of 1885 feet per sec
ond and muzzle energy of $1,000 foot
tons. Guns of I05 tons have also been
made at Elswick for the Franceso LAURA,
the Andrea Dona, and the Morosini. In
these the weight of the charge is 900
pounds the weight of the projectile 1000
pounds, and the muzzle velocity 2,O19
feet per second, the muzzle energy So
SAT foot tons. These will undoubtedly
prove most formidable weapons.
The largest Krupp gun weighs nearly
ll9 tons. 1t is over 46 feet long, has
calibre of 15M inches, and fires a shot
weighing 1914 pounds, with muzzle
velocity of 1900 feet. The NAHUM ele-
Walton gives it a range of nearly ~
miles. Its power of penetration into
wrought iron is estimated at about Al
inches at the muzzIe, 81 inches at she
distance of 100 yards, and 80 inches at
1,3O0 yards. At the distance of three
miles its striking average is still about
$4,000 foot tons.
The English 10 ton gun, manufuactur-
ed at Elswick, is about Al feet long. and
its actual weight 247,785 pounds. The
screw block, removed in loading, weighs
24 tons. The projectile is bolt weigh
ing 1900 pounds, and 16I inches in di
ameter. With $50 pounds of powder the
actual muzzle velocity attained was 2,O78
feet, and the muzzle energy 34O00-foot
tons; SO that with $50 pounds, which the
gun is constructed to use, an energy on
the projectile of 62,7OO-foot tons is ex.
pected. The recoil of the gun is very
small. The British also have powerful
new gun in their g. ton steel breech-load-
er, which will be carried on the Rodney.
1t is expected to throw ~ inch shot.
of 1880 pounds, with a powder charge
of $50, and to attain 2.1OO feet muzzle
realized, this gun, though much lighter,
will be more destructive than the 8O-ton
gun of the Infexible, which takes a pro-
jectile of 100 pounds, with g cartridge
of $50 pounds, reaching muzzle velocity
of 1000 feet.
It is said that the next step attempted
in heavy gun construction will be that of
150-ton monster, this project being at
tr1buted to the Essen works. It would
throw shell six feet long, weighing
ton and q half. There are also some guns
under construction which are expected to
accomplish great results on somewhat
new theories, as in the case of the one
manufactured for Colonel Hope. This is
to take an enormous powder charge, and
to have correspondingly great penetrat-
i've effect. But without going into the
possible successes of the future those
which have already been achieved are
sufficiently astonishing.